National Republican., 1887-11-10

the United States, for It Ia fact that
very few persons know that such con
ference was called as is described In the
closing words Of the following sentence:
The sovereignty of the thousand islands 10
the Caribbean sen, comprising the West 10.
dies, is divided amo1g all the naval powers,
the United states alone having no foothoid
there. Convinced of III actual necessity OF
| securing for that government fortified naval
supply station in the Caribbean, President
| Lincoln and Secretary Seward summoned
Vice Admiral Porter for consultation in regard
to the matter
a terse, strong statement OF the value Of
the Danish islands of the West Indies
follows In this language:
Forty.nvo of these islands have certain
importance, and glance at the map will show
that the Danish possessions, viz, the islands
81. Thomas, ST. john, and Santa Cruz OF the
Virgin group of the Antilles arc peculiarly
adapted to the purposes OF anchorage and de.
Tense. Admiral Porter strongly advised their
acquisition, and prepared memoir on the
subject Of the Danish islands, more compre-
hensivc, while not practically differing from
many other descriptions written at different
times and from different standpolnts by the
and historians who have visited the islands
Miss Seward then quotes from the
"memoirs" prepared by Admiral Porter,
and from that we take the following:
81. Thomas IS small Gibraltar of itself, and
could not be attacked by naval force There
would be no possibility of landing troops
there, as the island is surrounded by reefs and
breakers, and every point near which vessel
or boat could approach is natural fortiGca-
tion, and only requires guns, with little lab,r
expended on fortified works. There Is no
harbor in the West Indies better fitted than 81.
Thomas for naval station. In nn',
81. Thomas is the keystone TO the srGin oi m,
West ihoies, ~ cto@milR:31lds con them ali. Itisor
- tiShStmboitance TO us than to any other nj
Zion.
Then is shown how the project was
interrupted by the assassination of Mr..
Lincoln, and the negotiations opened iu
July, 1896, by formal offer from our gov.
Crnment, through Gen. de Raaslof, to
Denmark for the purchase of the islands o'
st. Thomas, st. John, and Santa Cruz, for
the sum Of five million dollars.
The condition OF Europe, the hostility OF
England to the transfer, the favorable
views OF Senator Sumner--then charm ~
Of the foreign relations committee OF the
Senate, the second failure through .the
quarrel OF President johnson with his
party, the accession Of Gen. Grant to the
Presidency aud his anxiety to complete the
treaty, the final agreement with Denmark
for the cession and its failure through the
animosity Of Senator Sumner. to the ad-
ministraton Of President Grant, are all
graphically described.
She closes by saying:
The statesmanshlp which sought 10 secure to
the Uaited States by fair and peaceful means
strong naval and military stations Shown by
the experience of war TO be of the utmost i'm.
portance TO possess) outside the continent can
hardly be denied by any but the prejudlced
paItisans OF non extension.
The wisdom of the attempt to secure
these Islands has already been vIndlcated,
and history has passed its judgment upon
the men who, to crafty personal spites, de-
feated the measure. Miss Seward is en-
titled to high praise for the manner In
which abe has placed the subject before the
uublic